1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, a wireless LAN (local area network) access point and a settings confirmation/change method used therefore, or more in particular to a wireless LAN access point and the confirmation and change of the settings in a wireless LAN access point in a system using a wireless LAN switch and a wireless LAN access point adapted for a mesh network having no wire line.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional wireless LAN access point includes a wireless LAN access point in a system using a wireless LAN switch and a wireless LAN access point adapted for a mesh network having no wire line.
When an IP (internet protocol) address of a wireless LAN access point is forgotten, the common practice is to read out the settings of a wireless LAN access point with a serial console to establish communication with the wireless LAN access point.
In the case where the serial console is lacking, a reset button or the like is outfitted to clear and restore the current setting to a default setting. Namely, a IP address is restored to the state at the time of factory shipment.
In this case, in the wireless LAN access point, the communication with a wireless LAN access point is established by IP communication using the default IP address described in an operation manual or the like, and by thus conducting the IP communication such as WEB or TELNET, the setting of these wireless LAN access points can be changed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2003-101546 and 2004-282637).
A conventional wireless LAN access point described above, however, is often installed on the ceiling or the like, and once the settings thereof are forgotten, it is required to be connected with a maintenance PC (personal computer) by cable in order to establish communication with the wireless LAN access point. This is a laborious task. Also, in the conventional wireless LAN access point, a serial connector is needed to make possible the confirmation and change of the setting.
In the case of a wireless LAN access point having a reset button, when the settings are forgotten after the access point is activated, there is no choice but to reset the access point to establish communication. Therefore, the operation must be suspended for a while.
Also, the wireless LAN access point is returned to the default setting by resetting, and therefore the current settings cannot be confirmed. Further, the wireless LAN access point, which holds the same IP address as another wireless LAN access point at default setting, cannot be connected to a wired network in a default state.
In the case of a wireless LAN access point adapted for a mesh network having no wire line, the connection from the wire line is impossible for lack of a wire line even if the default IP address is restored using the reset button. Also, this wireless LAN access point cannot establish wireless connection using a wireless channel instead of a wire line, and therefore the communication with the wireless LAN access point cannot be established.
Even when the function to restore the minimum items required for IP address and wireless connection to the default setting is made available by depressing the reset button of the wireless LAN access point, there is a problem that a particular wireless LAN access point connected with the maintenance PC cannot be identified when a wireless LAN access point having the same default setting exists in the neighborhood.